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Blue Alert law goes into affect

January 3, 2011

Delaware police have a new tool to help the track down suspects accused of killing or seriously injuring a law enforcement officer.

The “Blue Alert” law that went into on Saturday will be similar to the Amber Alert program used to locate a missing child. The alert would be activated when a suspect in the death or serious injury of an officer is on the loose and may be a threat to public safety.

The bill was signed by Governor Markell in September, nearly a year after Georgetown Police Officer Chad Spicer was fatally shot while investigating a shooting. The trial for the man accused of killing Spicer begins today with jury selection in Georgetown. The Attorney General’s Office is expected to seek the death penalty against 23-year-old Derrick Powell.